In an interview this week, Gary Gold, the Las Vegas police chief and West Las Vegas school board member, took positions on divisive issues:

Gold said he was open-minded to legalization of marijuana, as long as the government enacted strict regulation of the drug.

“It’s crazy to do the drug, but we need to re-evaluate our tactics because we’re not winning the war on drugs,” the chief said.

Gold called marijuana a “natural herb” that could be regulated.

He said he didn’t favor legalization for other drugs such as crack and meth.

Despite his position on marijuana legalization, the chief said the police are obligated to enforce the laws on the books.

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Gold said he is open to the possibility of combining the administrations of the two local school districts. He said that with a tight state budget, it’s likely that the state could force consolidation.

“I’m always open-minded for the best interests of the community and kids,” he said.

Most local officials either roundly denounce the idea of consolidation or avoid the subject altogether.